Football

Even if Sue Gray exonerates the prime minister over Partygate public opinion won’t



Having been delayed and delayed for so many months, will the ‘full’ Sue Gray Report into widespread lawbreaking in Downing Street be worth the wait? In other words, will it exonerate the prime minister? Or will it confirm that not only did he break the law, but he also encouraged others to do so?

The spin is that the report will make for very uncomfortable reading for Boris Johnson, whatever the Metropolitan Police made of his witness statement. Unless that spin is misguided, or the product of some attempt to massage expectations, and the reality will be merely gruesome rather than appalling, it seems reasonable to assume that the conclusions Sue Gray reaches will be just as damaging as any number of fixed penalty notices.

From what is known so far about the parties and other unnecessary, unlawful social gatherings, including the details conveyed in Sue Gray’s interim report, it’s reasonable to assume that the prime minister knew about many of the gatherings, even if he did not attend all of them. Most importantly, he created an accommodating atmosphere in which they could take place. This is consistent with the sense that even if he didn’t directly encourage people to break the rules, his was an indulgent attitude that allowed those around him to “let off steam” and relax after a tough day. Hence customs such as “wine Fridays” and the notorious wheelie case ferrying booze from the Co-op. Though he dare not admit it, the PM obviously thought it acceptable if he and his colleagues decided for themselves the risks to their health against their need for a glass of wine and some agreeable company. But that allowance was not extended to the rest of the country, where such personal discretion was banned.



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